weasel out

weasel out
a) To shirk, avoid, or fail to fulfill (a task, responsibility, etc.)

With the costs of Desert Shield likely to double, Congress fumes at those allies who seem to be weaseling out of their pledges to help.

b) To obtain or extract, especially with effort and by cunning methods.

And if they try to weasel out that way, Obama is warning them that hell "call them out."

Syn: cop out, dig up, ferret out, sniff out

Wikipedia foundation.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • weasel out of — [phrasal verb] weasel out of (something) chiefly US, informal + usually disapproving : to avoid doing (something) by being dishonest, by persuading someone in a clever way, etc. She weaseled out of our agreement. He weaseled his way out of… …   Useful english dictionary

  • weasel out of — weasel out (of (something)) to escape responsibility for something. He used all kinds of excuses to weasel out of paying his bills …   New idioms dictionary

  • weasel out — (of (something)) to escape responsibility for something. He used all kinds of excuses to weasel out of paying his bills …   New idioms dictionary

  • weasel out — (informal) To evade obligation • • • Main Entry: ↑weasel …   Useful english dictionary

  • weasel out of something — weasel out (of (something)) to escape responsibility for something. He used all kinds of excuses to weasel out of paying his bills …   New idioms dictionary

  • weasel out (of something) — ˌweasel ˈout (of sth) derived (informal, disapproving, especially NAmE) to avoid doing sth that you ought to do or have promised to do • He s now trying to weasel out of our agreement. Main entry: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • weasel out of something — in. to get out of oing something; to wiggle out of a responsibility. □ I know how to weasel out of something like that. You get a headache. □ You can’t just weasel out now when we need you! …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • weasel out — {v. phr.} To renege on a previous promise; not keep an obligation for some not always straight reason. * /I m so tired I think I am going to weasel my way out of going to that meeting this afternoon./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • weasel out — {v. phr.} To renege on a previous promise; not keep an obligation for some not always straight reason. * /I m so tired I think I am going to weasel my way out of going to that meeting this afternoon./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • weasel\ out — v. phr. To renege on a previous promise; not keep an obligation for some not always straight reason. I m so tired I think I am going to weasel my way out of going to that meeting this afternoon …   Словарь американских идиом

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”